Updated Jan. 10
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) indoor boys and girls track teams improved to 2-1 in the young winter season with a convincing win over Dennis-Yarmouth Tuesday night in a Cape & Islands dual meet at Wheaton College in Norton.
The boys won by a 66-33 margin, and the girls won 60-40. While Tuesday night featured strong performances by the veterans, MVRHS showed up strongly in relay and field events, giving them a comfortable margin.
In dual meets, scoring is awarded for performance against the designated opponent, in this case, Dennis-Yarmouth. Overall performance isn’t judged against others in the field, four other Cape & Island teams in this case. but offers a good measure of overall success … and it’s fun to watch.
The JV squad opened some eyes as well. JV Vineyarder girls had seven of the top 10 places in the 300-meter dash, including Ciara Hoyt, Klara Dow, Kat DeSourcey, Sophie Nevin, and Audrey Holmes (third through seventh), and Lydia Carlos and Lora Nikolova (ninth and 10th). Not an order of finish you see every day.
Senior captain Peter Burke continued his Farewell Tour performances with a blistering-paced win in the 600 meters, with Zach Utz on his heels; both were well clear of the field.
Senior captain Catherine Cherry showed veteran race judgment and grit, coming from mid-pack to take thirds in both the two-miler and one-mile runs.
Senior Dash Christy refused to lose the 55-meter hurdles, running one-two with JoJo Bonneau in the event. Annabelle Biggs finished first and Nick Pecararo finished second in the 300 meters. Isaac Richards was second in the 1,000 meter run, a whisker behind the winner.
Contributions by individuals were many and varied across the track and the field board. One factor that stood out Tuesday night was the performance of the relay teams. In past years, MVRHS lacked enough people to field any girls’ relay team, and the boys competed in half the relay events. On Tuesday, the girls placed third overall in both the 4×200 meters and the 4×400, beating opponent D-Y in both.
The boys won the 4×400 outright, and finished fourth in the 4×200 meter relay, topping D-Y in both events.
Annabelle Biggs won the long jump, edging a D-Y opponent by half an inch. Both Paige Pogue, in second place with a personal record, and Charlotte Packer in third, topped a D-Y shot putter to win that event.
On Sunday, nearly 20 MVRHS freshman and sophomore track and field team members competed on the big stage at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.
MVRHS Coach Joe Schroeder makes the pilgrimage annually with underclassmen. “It’s good for them to experience competing in a major venue against statewide competition. They get that experience, and a chance to measure their progress against a large field and possibly to qualify for the postseason,” Schroeder said Tuesday night.
The Purple turned in some noteworthy efforts in Boston against a field of 37 schools and up to 100 contestants in some events, with Annabelle Biggs (long jump) and Zach Utz (one mile) finishing second in their events. Borja Tolay finished fifth in the two-miler, Dan DaSilva was sixth in the 600 meters, Ashlie Clarke was seventh in the shot put.
Jonathan Norton finished 11th in the 1,000-meter field and Annabelle Biggs was 11th in the 300m, leading a bevy of top 20 finishers, including Elaine Christy (13th in 600 meters), Ren Christy (18th in 600m), Nicole Menton (18th in 55m), and Nick Pecararo (18th in 300m).
Sam Fetters was 34th in the 1,000m; Duncan Brown, 49th in the mile, Shantavia Whylly, 49th in the crowded shot put field (99); Kaitlyn Freeman, 49th in the 1,000m; and Madison Packish, 66th in the 300m.
The Vineyarders travel to Wheaton next Tuesday, Jan. 14, to take on Sandwich in a C&I league dual meet.
Updated to add Annabelle Biggs coming in first place in the 300m. — Ed.
